Monday, March 8

Cardamom is Captivating: A Recipe for Banana Apple Cardamom Cake with Cardamom Icing

Few spices can excite your taste buds as powerfully as cardamom. Have you ever noticed how someone will take a bite of a cardamom-laced dessert, declare instant love, yet not be able to identify the spice?

That's because cardamom is enigmatic. Think about it: Is it spicy or sweet? Citric or floral? Does it taste like lemon? Cinnamon? Anise? Christmas? Yes. Cardamom embodies all of these flavors in one glorious spice, which is why baking with cardamom is so popular.

As this Banana Apple Cardamom Cake bakes, it will permeate your home with the sweet and spicy aromas of cardamom, nutmeg, ginger, and coconut. With mashed ripe bananas, butter, and coconut milk, this is an especially moist cake that is punctuated with bits of chewy raisins, crisp apples, and crunchy nuts. It makes a sweet start to the day when paired with a mug of hot coffee or a relaxing afternoon snack with a cup of tea or a glass of milk. It also has the added benefit of tasting even better the next day.

3. In a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugars and beat at medium speed for a couple of minutes. Add eggs and beat well. Add the honey, vanilla, and coconut milk, and beat until batter is silky. Lower the speed, add the bananas, and beat briefly.

4. Add the dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients, and mix until just incorporated. Using a rubber spatula, gently stir in the apples, raisins, coconut, and nuts. Divide the batter evenly between the pans.

5. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the cakes are a deep golden brown. You'll know they're done when a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Transfer the cakes to a rack and let cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans.

6. Meanwhile, make the icing in a small bowl by whisking together confectioners' sugar and cardamom. Add a few droplets of milk and continue whisking until the icing is smooth and thin yet clings to the back of a spoon. When it's ready, pour it through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any tiny clumps of confectioners' sugar.

7. Invert cakes onto a rack, then turn right side up. Using a spoon, drizzle the icing over the top of the cakes, and spread it with a thin, metal spatula. Sprinkle each cake with 1/4 cup of toasted coconut, and 1 tablespoon chopped pistachios. Allow to set for at least 15 minutes before slicing.

I love combining cardamom with the warm spices, like cinnamon. The aroma is intoxicating and the flavor comforting -- what could be better? But I also love Swedish cardamom bread, where the cardamom is the star.

I have a tendency to think of cardamom as the umami of the baking world. You can tell it's there, doing magical things, but you can't quite put your finger on what it is. This cake sounds amazing. I lvoe teh fruit included in it.

I have to say... I never thought of myself as a "tropical flavors" kind of gal but this cake has become an absolute favorite. This is the second time I've made it - the first time, I was going to a potluck and halved the recipe and everyone got mad at me for not bringing two cakes!

One change that I think is really delicious though... I have been making the glaze with 1 cup of powdered sugar, 1/2 t cardamom, the juice of 1/2 a lime, and a dash of dark rum. Ammmmmmmmazing. Adds the perfect tang to the cake. Thanks for this recipe!